Category: Blog

Are you a lifelong learner? Do you think in pictures? Are you in the graphics industry and want to do more than just graphics design? Do you like to dig deep and get to the heart of an issue? Do you doodle on napkins and scraps of paper when you are trying to explain something to someone (or maybe enthusiastically draw with your hands in the air?)

We are looking for a communication/visual designer to complement our unique work. We are looking for someone who creates visual concepts that communicate complex ideas that inspire, inform and captivate. Think infographics on steroids. We work with governments and the private/NGO sector. Our clients are innovators, they shape policy and legislation, they don’t think outside the box…there is no box. Our work educates and influences corporate decision-making. The visuals that accompany our work are so cutting edge and powerful they need little explanation. Our pictures are definitely worth a thousand words. We are looking for a brain that is fully turned on, connected and eager…oh, and one more thing, no grandstanding, ego or BS welcomed. We are a team that works together!

You work remotely with enough motivation to follow through, anticipate and deliver…but don’t get too comfortable working remotely, you will need to get to client meetings on time in a presentable and professional way…and you have the ability to get government security clearance.

Not only do you know all the ins and outs of the software that a communication/graphic designer requires, you have intellect. You have attention to detail and don’t need anyone to double check your work for mistakes. You are not left or right brained, YOU are innovatively middle brained!

You are mature, enthusiastic, creative, and you live your life in the art of the possible. You like being of service!

Initiative is really important to us. We don’t babysit our contractors. We stay ahead of our client’s needs and we expect our collaborators to do the same. We’re not mind readers, of course, but if you wait to be asked to do something really obvious, you may not be a good fit. And if you look at our poor website, bonus points for someone who would love to tear it apart and build one that truly reflects who we are! We’ve been so busy with work that it’s fallen by the wayside!

This would be a collaborative relationship, working on individual contracts as we need it, on a project by project basis. The consulting field is a challenging one…you never know where your next project will come from, but with some luck and a tonne of hard work, we’re able to take on the work we love and approach it creatively. We want someone who understands this environment and is up for that challenge too. We’re looking to build a long-term trusted mutually beneficial relationship. If you’re fly by night, then fly past us.

Intrigued? If this excites you rather than intimidates you, we really want to hear from you. Send us a pitch, rock our world and peak our interest. Don’t worry if you don’t know all the inner workings of business or government. A keen sense of learning, a desire to level up your skills and knowing your graphics stuff like a bass ass guru is a great start for us!

Those who don’t send a traditional CV will get our attention. In fact, please, don’t send us a traditional CV. We don’t do traditional kind of graphics work! The more unique your application is, the more we’ll pay attention. Your work should speak for itself and should definitely speak to us.

You have been tasked to lead a project. You know what you need to achieve to be able to report success. You have a team to support you in your work. You have lists of all the things you need to accomplish to achieve your goal, but the lists and the seeming disorganization of the team have you overwhelmed.

A fully thought out plan helps you to get your long list of to-dos a logical and manageable sequence. It creates a methodical and structured approach to your project and it gives your team the visual and timing cues it needs to stay focused, stay informed, and stay on track.

Detailed project plans provide valuable insights to you and your team. They provide you with the tools you need to report up and to communicate out with key stakeholders and allow you to measure the success or your project. They help you to anticipate risks and to remain agile in the face of challenges. They are a vital tool in establishing budgets, allocating resources and help you to consider contingencies that keep you control.

Managing and planning your to-dos is invaluable to any project lead or manager. Arming yourself for the successful delivery of your work is paramount to your own personal success and the ultimate success of your organization.

So, you have articulated your business strategy and your goals, and you have established your corporate values, now what? It is now time for the rubber to hit the road.

Business Planning allows you to get out of your head and get it all down on paper. Often, we are so bogged down in the lists and lists of lists, we have no ability to stand back and see the bigger picture. When we become overwhelmed, staff begin working in silos, morale drops and you begin hearing things like – what priorities do we need to work on first? When will this project be finished? And, I don’t understand my role.

By employing a disciplined and collaborative approach to planning you and your team are more likely to achieve success against your strategy. Maintaining alignment between your strategy and your plan may seem obvious, but it can often be overlooked. Getting help to make sense of the chaos and being challenged to optimize and articulate your path forward is always time well spent. Having a plan that supports your strategy gives you the tools you need to make decisions efficiently and with clarity.

If it is not in the plan and is not linked to the strategy, why would you do it?

Webster’s Dictionary defines strategy as a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time; the skill of making or carrying out plans to achieve a goal.

When you set out to start a new business or join an established team, your ultimate goal is success. But, have you actually taken the time to visualize how you will achieve that success? Strategizing to achieve your goals is the crucial thinking and the brainpower that is required to articulate your goals, to declare your purpose, and to accelerate and solidify what your legacy will be in the world. Whether you are a solopreneur, CEO of your own business or you are leading a national association, everyone needs a well thought through and articulate strategy that will allow you to reach your goals and achieve your mission and vision.

By taking the time to strategize for your future and by putting language and rigour around articulating your goals, your strategy becomes the life blood of your business. It becomes a living breathing representation of who you are and why you exist in the world. It allows you and your team to become aligned with the corporate vision and mission that drives your business success. It gives you a game plan that brings more balance and clarity to your actions and allows you to ultimately flip the switch from being reactionary to being purpose-driven.

The beauty of developing a strategy is that it is not complicated. It is a necessary tool for anyone who has a goal they want to achieve. All that is required is the time, space and discipline to ask yourself the right questions and to focus on your team’s unique strengths. The discipline of the process allows teams to collectively think through competing priorities with a balanced approach. It brings colleagues along on the journey to success and it validates that the work you are doing is being done efficiently and with greater effectiveness.

You feel you are doing all the right things. You are strategizing, meeting and planning, but year after year you find yourself gaining little traction on the goals and objectives that will allow you to reach your vision and your mission.

Organizations today are being challenged to do more with less. There is a constant hum of interruptions. Ideas and change are at the door and an environment of ongoing innovation is now the new normal. It becomes hard to keep up. Without a clear and concise strategy to ground you and your work, you become reactionary, ineffective and ill-prepared to remain focused on your goals.

A strategy, with a clear vision, mission and goals, is the life blood and pulse of any successful team. It is a living breathing representation of the passion that brings you and your colleagues to work every day. It must be embodied and internalized by everyone on your team, from your executives to your front desk and each and every person in between. It is your organization’s DNA to guide every decision, every tactic and each resource deployment.

Developing your corporate strategy is only part of the solution. To ensure long term success, it must also be communicated, embodied and embed it in your corporate culture. It should be an ever-present reminder of WHY you do what you do.